Le Figaro Marseille
“Many people left their homes running away and without even taking their belongings
,” sadly summarizes Christian, a resident of La Renaude for nearly 39 years.
Just like a few dozen people, this father is one of the last inhabitants of this city in the northern districts of Marseille, little by little deserted by its historic population, tired of seeing it gradually transform into ruin.
However, the places once hosted more than a hundred households, all united by the
“solidarity”
that its residents attribute to a peaceful social context and to the characteristics of the city, a
“magnificent”
site .
“It was a family neighborhood.
We grew up there together, we went to school, we got married and had children, all without ever having problems
,” painfully remembers Yamina, a septuagenarian who lived her entire life at La Renaude.
“Many communities mixed together: North Africans, gypsies, Armenians,”
confirms Nabet, former tenant of building A for 47 years.
“But many people gradually left on their own
,” he agrees.
According to the testimony of the few residents who still occupy the premises, the situation deteriorated significantly in the early 2000s. According to them, the fault lies with the arrival of a drug trafficking network, the vector of numerous deadly score-settlings. .
“As soon as the drug trade happened, everyone shut their doors.
You could no longer receive people from your family.
The worst part was that they were young people who went to school with our children.
Today, they are all dead
,” continues Christian, evoking the numerous settling of scores that have broken out in the alleys of his city in recent years.
The city of La Renaude emptied of its inhabitants
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For several months, the lookouts have disappeared from La Renaude, leaving behind a desolate neighborhood.
Only a few colorful frescoes bearing the image of Pablo Escobar or the universe of the
“Super Mario”
video game franchise attest to the opening by the
“network”
of a
“coffee”
, that is to say a deal point.
The buildings of the city, for their part, were walled up as the tenants fled.
“As soon as a family left, the landlord blocked the exits to their apartment.
“It’s like being in Chernobyl
,” Christian and Nabet remark in front of workers blocking the window of a home with cement and concrete blocks.
Since the start of 2024, only twelve families still share the walls of La Renaude, divided between the desire to flee and the refusal to leave
“their”
neighborhood.
“There are nine families left in the apartments of building A and only three in those of building B. We are the survivors,”
says Christian, admitting that he himself made his children leave so as not to let them
“hang around here”
anymore .
In total, 84 households were gradually rehoused by the social landlord who owns the rental apartments, Habitat Marseille Provence (HMP).
A meeting with the prefect in April to “whistle the end of the game”
The latter has been planning for three years to raze what remains of the Renaude city to
“rebuild a new complex”
, the
“rehabilitation”
of the site being
“not possible”
in the words of its president, Patrick Pappalardo.
“We have secured empty apartments to avoid squats.
There remain twelve households to be rehoused, but they do not want to leave due to imperatives or requirements
,” he regrets.
“We still have apartments to rehouse these people.
They can refuse our proposals, but unfortunately we are not a real estate agency
,” he argues.
These
“proposals”
are considered
“catastrophic”
by the families still present in La Renaude, who are not very motivated by the idea of moving into cities that are often undermined by insecurity and drug trafficking.
“We were offered to be relocated to
Frais-Vallon
, Oliviers or even
Parc Kalliste
.
Except there are deal points there.
I will never move there with my diabetes and my disability
,” insists Yamina, deploring the current state of her apartment, which has been severely damaged by numerous floods which have forced her to sleep at a neighbor's house for around ten days.
The fault, according to the septuagenarian, is the work carried out by HMP just above the family apartment, whose radiators and part of the pipes were removed after the departure of the former tenants, leading significant quantities of rainwater to soak its walls now studded with mold.
“One morning I woke up and saw water falling from the ceiling.
All our things are rotten
,” describes Yamina’s brother, Nordine.
“It’s unbearable.
It makes me want to cry
,” whispers the latter.
These are historic tenants, who have no concerns about unpaid bills.
We must do everything possible to get these people out of this situation.
Sami Benfers, elected to the city of Marseille in charge of Taxis and the social and solidarity economy
Warned, the city of Marseille dispatched several health inspectors to observe the damage and come to the aid of Yamina.
“If this accommodation is declared unsanitary, the tenants will be quickly relocated to a hotel
,” promises Patrick Amico, deputy mayor of Marseille in charge of housing, who came to La Renaude this Thursday to meet its nervous residents.
The elected official took the opportunity to point out that the municipality did not support the project to demolish the city carried out by Habitat Marseille Provence.
“HMP emptied La Renaude on the principle that the situation was established. Except that we said no
,” he maintains.
An assertion brushed aside by the social landlord and its president.
“All this was decided in 2021 during a meeting organized with a delegate from the prefect.
The demolition declaration was sent in 2022 and a request for authorization to demolish was submitted in April 2023
,” explains Patrick Pappalardo, who denounces the
“attacks”
by the city of Marseille and refers the future of La Renaude to a meeting. which should be held on April 12 with the prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, who should
“whistle the end of the game”
.
“The town hall is putting obstacles in our way. It was decided to open up La Renaude. We are not changing our decision after two years of discussions, we are being given a bad trial
,” rejects the president of HMP.
“We have never validated the demolition of La Renaude.
Let them send us the demolition permit order
,” said Patrick Amico for his part.
A solution that is slow to emerge.
“It’s a situation that has lasted for too long,”
summarizes Sami Benfers, elected to the city of Marseille in charge of Taxis and the social and solidarity economy.
“These are historic tenants, who have no concerns about unpaid bills.
We must do everything possible to get these people out of this situation
,” he concludes.